Forum thread

The Champions League 2023/24 prediction game is over.

Last time Real Madrid lost in the Champions League final (or its predecessor European Champions Cup) was in 1981 against Liverpool.

The next 9 appearances (between 1998 and today) ended in Real Madrid lifting the Cup!

Incredibly consistent.

Dortmund had their chances but didn’t take them and were made to pay .

Real Madrid - Barcelona 15:5

Three teams with most fan-disappointing win/loss record in the Finals

Juventus 7 losses in 9 appearances
Benfica 5 losses in 7 appearances
Atletico 3 losses in 3 appearances

And a few final words about long gone times of glory. Nobody remembers that Stade REIMS were once European power and recorded a double appearance in the Champions Cup final. In both games (in 1956 and 1959) they were handed a loss by...Real Madrid.

Real Madrid may now have 15 titles but very often the most memorable finals are those where a team wins their only title. Here's a list of ten teams who did have such a 'day to remember' in their history:

Celtic 1967 vs Inter
Feyenoord 1970 vs Celtic
Aston Villa 1982 vs Bayern
Hamburg 1983 vs Juventus
Steaua 1986 vs Barcelona
PSV 1988 vs Benfica
Crvena Zvezda 1991 vs Marseille
Marseille 1993 vs Milan
Dortmund 1997 vs Juventus
Man City 2023 vs Inter

If I was to pick one most notable for me, my vote would go to Steaua 1986, the first Champions Cup won be a team from the Eastern block. The other two that I can still clearly remember is Crvena 1991 (Mihajlovic, Prosinecki) and Hamburg 1983 (I was listening to this one on a non-Polish radio as there was no TV broadcast in Poland; Felix Magath scored the only goal). My number 4 would be Aston Villa 1982.

One Season Prediction error going back to the Group Stage, specifically Group D

SL Benfica finished 3rd (not 4th) and RB Salzburg finished 4th (not 3rd).

All done.

Thanks.